You Can't Afford Me

How Much is a Worker Bee Worth?

John 3:16 NIV
 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

How much is an individual worth?

Recently a friend was asked by a business how much she was worth per hour to perform contract work. She had a difficult time answering the question.

I've often heard people complain they're not paid what they're worth. I know I'm not because for the last five years my salary has gone backwards due to legislative action or budget cuts. 

It's easy to wrap my sense of identity around the size of my paycheck, but the past few years, I've had to scale back my ego and just thank God that in this economy I have a job at all.

And, of course, my definition of self worth is not the same as God's.

He values me so much He sent His only Son to redeem my sins on the cross. He didn't make the decision to send His Son to Earth lightly, but Jesus' sacrifice was the only way to bridge the chasm of my sinful state and God's holy existence.

Without Christ's willingness to lay down his life for me, I'd still be separated from God by my sins.

God's overwhelming love for me and His desire to build a relationship with me, demonstrate I have self worth. I don't need possessions or money in my life to prove that point.

Besides, Jesus commanded me to give everything away to the poor and follow Him. So why would I want material goods anyway? 

The only solution is I need a new perspective toward myself--God's.

Based on His pay scale, if anyone ever asks me how much I'm worth per hour, I'll simply smile and answer, "You can't afford me."
--------------------------------------------------------
Thank you, Lord, for valuing me. Let me see myself through your eyes.